Fall has always been my favorite season because it’s full of lush abundance. I get to return to roasting, baking and slow simmering. My kitchen is full of foods that are slightly heavier with rich, robust flavor. Beautiful orange pumpkins, dark green winter squash, juicy, crisp apples, and luscious, ripe pears usher in savory creations.
Pears are particularly beautiful with their undulating curves and unique shades of pale green, ivory and deeper buckskin tan. When perfectly ripe, the creamy flesh is succinctly sweet and supremely satisfying. On their own pears may be considered rather a simple ingredient. But they become quite sophisticated when roasted and caramelized and served with maple mascarpone or honey cinnamon ice cream. Those same roasted pears may be laid upon a bed of frisee or baby kale leaves, drizzled with fig balsamic vinegar and showered with shards of blue cheese for an arresting autumn salad.
For a refreshing change from applesauce, prepare pear sauce, combining the cooked down pears with plump raisins and chunks of walnuts. Sauté pears in butter, a bit of rum and plenty of cinnamon and ginger and serve atop steel cut oatmeal, or tucked into tender crepes. Pears love to be combined with all the traditional cold weather spices such as nutmeg and cloves that make a home smell so wonderful.
Add pears to apple crisp, or try them in cakes, cobblers, pancakes or tea breads. Pears poached in red wine are a healthy and simply gorgeous ending to a holiday meal. Combine pears with hot peppers, cinnamon, allspice, onion, and garlic for an emphatic accompaniment to roast pork or chicken.
The perfect pear offers many health benefits. They are an excellent source of fiber, which is a boon to the intestines and may be effective in lowering cholesterol levels. Foods high in fiber may also be cancer preventative and reduce the risk of heart disease. Pears provide vitamins B2, C, E, as well as copper and potassium. Pear juice may provide relief from inflammation and soothe and nourish sore throats. Pear juice may also be tremendously effective in relieving a fever.
Enjoy the beauty of pears as you prepare your delicious life!
“Work With What You Got!”
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen © 2017 All Rights Reserved
